The Great Book Clearout...

 

Over the years I have been collecting books  number of which were bought at reduced cost (ie. remainders) from major stores, "dusty" old second-hand book shops, charity shops, and elsewhere!! I now draw nearly all my knowledge from the internet. However, it might be fun to list some of the books that have now gone from my flat...they include...

1.  Some "tomes" on Pompeii including one or two tourist ones.

2.  Geoffrey Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales including an illustrated edition.

3. The complete works of Shakespeare (1970) in a special decorated book slipcase.

4. An early 1960s paperback edition of In the Astral Light by John Symonds on the fascinating life of  Madame Blavatsky. Totally entertaining. What a character she was! Ofcourse, I have read other works on her life...! Sadly the book's cover has come off due to age!

5. An autographed  book on Subud by Dominic Rieu (see My meeting with Rieu and Subud )

6.  A  book on old photos of Florence. It looked pretty grimy in places unlike today I suspect!

7.  An old paperback edition of the famous Oxford book quotations

8. A Theasaurus which has seen better times!!

9.  The complete tv scripts of Dad's Army, Blackadder, and Fawlty Towers (the best comedy series I have ever seen, and most other people agree..apparently!)

10.  A number of books on mathematics including its history.

11. Books on alternative healing and holistic health.

12 Works on the Paranormal

13. Pepy's Diary which was always a joy to dip in and out of as it provided an interesting idea of what life was like at the time of Charles  II. It also included the experience of the plague and the great fire of London in 1660 as well as encounters with important people of the time. 

14. A collection of Charles Dickens Xmas  time stories including his famous Christmas Carol...Scrooge et al...

14. An Autobiography of Ben Franklin...very interesting and instructive!

15. A large paperback edition of Larousse's famous Encyclopedia of Mythology. Also other books on this subject have "gone" so to speak.

16. A damaged book which dealt with certain obscure aspects of western philosophy. It also had some writing in it by its deceased owner and was dated. The book was just over a hundred years old!

17. A colourful book on the Crusades (circa 1964) by the Cassell Caravel a publisher of which I had other works from on history and used to have years ago on such subject as Julius Caesar, the Vikings, the  Byzantines, etc.

18. An excellent work entitled Alchemy and Mysticism by Alexander Roob /Taschen/..esoteric  hermetic and occult art. I might even buy another copy of it as it has such a comprehensive display of a "well known" pics of such work.''preferably the hardback edition..

19. I had a book on the Tudors which was illustrated with various black and white line drawings of the social life of  the times issued Brockhampton Press. I used to have the full collection of the series dealing for example with the Romans, and the Stuarts. Incidently, I came across a forerunner of this kind of publication published back in the 1930s, and 40s in a number of editions. I found it by chance at a charity shop in Windsor for the grand price of £1! It was in poor condition and it was an illustrated publication on  Anglo Saxons  and the Normans. My late grandfather showed me years ago the other titles of the series which he had on his bookshelf after I showed him the ones published by Brockhampton Press. 

20. I had books on Windsor and Windsor Castle but they have gone now. One work which was especially good was entitled Writers in Windsor by Hester Davenport/ 1995. Very entertaining!  I actually met the authoress in the old Slough Library and she was giving a talk on Nell Gywnn.

21. Another oeuvre which I may keep is Alice in Wonderland..a wonderful classic and the "romance" called "Flatland" by Edwin Abbot. 

22. Books on languages notably Latin..!! Useful to a point I suppose but I find no use for them anymore.

23. A number of works about eccentrics and the origin of certain words notably in connection with inventions. (eg Macadam, Mackintosh...et al!!!).

*  I have saved certain books for research reasons. These include those to do with futurism, science, western philosophy, magic, meditation....etc. I  will however ofcourse retain inspirational books on Sant Mat which is my own personal spiritual/mystical Path.

When my mater died I received a rare  antique Victorian book in mint condition on the 1851 Great Exhibition with  ink line drawings of various inventions of the time. I went to the Eton Book Shop   and sold it to the manager there who later resold it at  a profit.I also sold him another old book but I cannot remember what it was about.

Two Videos links below showing

Two piles of books and moi doing a spot of voice and whistle music practice..for fun

More of the same as indicated above!!